Attachment for hospital beds and the like



Feb. 1, 1966 .1. B. BROCHU 3,231,905

ATTACHMENT FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND THE LIKE Filed July 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

John B. Brochu ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 J. B. BRocHu ATTACHMENT FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND THE LIKE Filed July 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u 3 O ma m. B n m J ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,231,905 ATTACHMENT FOR HOSPITAL BEDS AND THE LIKE John B. Brochu, 52 Hillside Ave., Beverly, Mass. Filed July 19, 1963,"Ser. No. 296,342 3 Claims. (Cl.5-92) My invention relates to improvements in bed attachments, with particular reference to hospital beds, although mot limited thereto. More specifically, the invention contemplates a bracket-incorporatingbed attachmentfor v-ariably positioning oneor more elements such as an electric light-operating pull cord terminal or the control switch vend of a nurse-summoning electric call bell cord, within convenient reach of the patient, or other bed occupant. Briefly and generally stated the-invention has among its primary objectsto provide a bed attachment as characterized (1) which is simple andinexpensive in'construc- "tion, and easily applied to or removed from a bed; (2) which incorporate a dirigiblyadjustable member to which cord or other elements can be readily attached or .detached and which will remain in predetermined adjusted j'positions until manually shifted therefrom; and (3) wherein'the dirigible cord or other element carrying member can be shifted entirely out of the way, as for instance,

during a doctors examination of the patient.

Further and more specific objects of the invention are to provide'an attachment for the purposesspecified wherein at least twocord, or other element retainers, of a bracket-carried and variably adjustable carrier member therefor (1) complement one another in the functioning of'each; and (2) provide reinforcement of the carrier member at their sites of attachment; and (3) are secured in place by a common'means.

Various other objects andadvantages of the inven- :tion reside invarious features of formation 'and combination of the :several parts, as will be readily understood and appreciated by nurses, doctors and'others, upon reference to the accompanying drawingswhich disclose two forms of theinvention.

It should be emphasized, however, that the present disclosures are to be taken as illustrative rather than *lirnitative, as my inventive concept-- is susceptible of other mechanical expressions within the spirit and scope. of "the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

Inthe drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts Wherever they appearin the several views FIG. 1 is a partly broken side elevational view of "hospital'bed sho-wingthe application ofmy invention thereto, the view also showing a wall-carried electric -light fixture and the light controlling pullcord;

FIGrZ- is an end elevational view of the FIG. ldis- "closure, taken from the foot end of the bed;

rear elevational view of the form of the invention, with the relatedbed portion in section;

FIG. 6 is a .rear elevation of the parts shown in FIG.

5; and

FIG. 7 is asection taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4

'showing an electric cord, or other element retaining element.

Referring .to the drawings by reference characters, 8 indicates a hospital bed providing the upstanding foot end '9 and head end which provides the headboard or rail '10. 'The head end of the mattress 11 is shown raised;

but since the bed forms no part of the present invention, the conventional means for mattress raising at one or both ends has not been illustrated.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the electric light fixture 13 which issecured to the room wall 12 and carries the electric light 14 which is operated by the conventional depending pull cord or other flexible member 15.

Also indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the Wall-carried electric socket fitting 16 into which is the terminal plug17 at the end of the electric cord 18 inserted, the other end of said cord 19 having the push button switch 19-which is employed to summon a nurse or other attendant.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred 'form, novel adjustable means, as hereinbefore intimated, is employed for carrying the free end of the electric light operating pull cord 15 as well as the electric cord 18 at a point adjacent the nurse-summoning switch 19. Thus, both the pull cord 15 and switch 19 will always be conveniently accessible to thepatient or other occupant of the bed 8.

Coming now to my novel bed attachment for dirigibly supporting both the free end of the electric light operating 'pull element 15 and the switch (19) carryingv end of the electric cord 18, the same, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 but best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises firs-tly the inverted U-form bracket. 22 as a mount for attachment to the bed rail 10 at the head end of the bed. 8. Bracket 22 has the bight portion 22a which will normally be disposed above the plane of the top compressible material 25a for non-scarring engagement with the proximate surface of rail 10 so as to securely clamp the member 22 thereto. The rear surface of bed rail 10 is protected against scarring by a compressible facing 27 which is secured to the inner surface of the rear leg 22c of member 22.

As suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2 but clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bight portion 22a of the inverted j U-form mount 22 supports and has vertically pivoted (30) thereto the bight portion 28a of the U-form holder 28.

Since the inner endof the carrier arm or bar 34 for electric cord 18 and the light control pull cord 15 (see FIGS. .1 and 2) is horizontally pivoted (32) between the legs'28b of holder 28; and the holder bight 28a is vertically pivoted (30) to mount 22, said carrier arm 34 is dirigibly mounted for movement in any direction. In order to assure that the dirigible carrier bar 34 remains in set positions until manually shifted, pivotcarried clamp means and spring washers 31, 33 are employed.

Thus, to prevent :horizontalpivoting of bar holder 28,

washers "31 are interposedbetween the respective clamp- "ing heads30a, 30b of thevertical .pivot-providing rivet 30 and the proximate surfaces of holder bight. 28a and that of the bed rail-carried mount 22. Also ifdeemed desirable no invention would be involved in:interposing a spring washer (notshown) between the bights 28a,

terposed between opposed-bar and holder leg (28b) .surfacesper FIG. 4. Legs 28b have some yield under the action of the bolt-carried wing nut 32]), and bolt head 32a, as will be understood.

In the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated herein, the upper end portion of the carrier arm 34 is bent laterally as indicated at 340 in FIGS. 3 and 4; and said arm portion 34a has opening from one side edge the electric cord (18) receiving notch 35 which forms one element of the clamp means for securing said cord 18 of the nurse-summoning push button 19.

Pivoted as at 37 to one surface of the arm 34 is the latch element 38 which also has a laterally turned upper end portion 38a which, as herein shown, is spaced closely adjacent to the under surface of the bent end 34a of arm 34. As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bent latch end portion 38a has an edge notch 41 opening toward and cooperable with the notch 35 of the bent arm portion 34a to grip the electric cord 18 in place so that the nursesummoning switch 19 will depend in readily accessible position for operation by the patient or other bed occupant.

Referring back to the pivot connection 37 between latch 38 and arm 34, same is seen to comprise the rivet 37 having the clamping heads 37a, 37b. FIG. 4 shows that the rivet 37 carries the cleat 40 having the slightly out-turned ends 40a; and that a spring washer 39 is interposed between the cleat 40 and the proximate face of the carrier arm 34. This spring washer 39 has a dual function in that firstly, it prevents other than manual operation of the latch 38 from one position to another; and secondly, it provides a space between cleat 40 and the adjacent surface of arm 34 for a wrapping and slipknotting of the usually headed depending free end of the light (14) operating pull cord 15.

Furthermore, it is pointed out that the spring washer 39 and cleat 40 along with latch 38 reinforce the arm 34 adjacent its upper end. Thus the latch 38 and the elements 37, 39, 40 of its mounting means have a separate important function, aside from the dual function of securing electric cord 18 and the pull cord, or connection 15, of FIGS. 1 and 2. 4

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 also indicate the carrier arm 34 as having the retaining clip element 42 for electric cord 18, said clip element being located between the latch carrying pivot 37 and the U-form holder 28 for the arm 34. Thus, electric cord 18 will be held adjacent the carrier arm 34 at all times. This clip element 42 is illustrated in detail in FIG. 7 and comprises the mounting portion 42a having the end 42b which is retained against one edge of the arm 34 by the screw 43 which secure 42 to arm 34.

Turning now to the slightly modified invention form of FIGS. and 6, the only difference between same and FIGS. 1-4 and 7 is that the inverted U-form bed railcarried mount 22 is replaced by an L-member having a foot portion 49 and a depending wedge shaped leg portion 48, which latter is received in the wedge form socket 47 of a bracket member 44. This bracket member 44 provides, at each end, the attaching portions 44a which are secured to one or the other of the front or back surfaces of the head rail of the bed by means of screws 45. The wedge-form socket 47 for the wedgeform leg 48 includes side edges 46 which overlie the outer surface of the leg portion 48 of the L-member so as to retain same in place. The foot portion 47 of the L-member spacedly overlies the top of bed rail 10 so that a bolt and nut can be used in lieu of the rivet (30) pivot connection between 49 and the arm or bar holder 28.

From the foregoing description read in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be understood, particularly from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2, that the arm (34)-carried pull element or cord for operation of the electric light 14 will dangle in a partial loop within convenient reach of the bed occupant; and the same as inasmuch as its free end is attached to the cleat 40 of FIG. 4; to the push button switch 19 whose cord is secured by the cooperating notches 35, 41 of the latch and arm member portions 38a, 41a. Further, it is noted that the arm 34 is initially in the idle position indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2, where it is out of the way. It may remain so while a nurse or other company for the bed occupant is present. However, before the occupant is left alone, the arm 34 may be swung down as shown in the same figure to the immediate reach of the occupant. The attachment is preferably mounted near one side edge of the head board 10 where it is fully out of the way. Yet, the arm 34 may be swung across the bed, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1, to locate the callbell switch 19 within the handy reach of a patient who is in a cast or unable to turn toward the other side of the bed. This access to the switch 19 also provides handy access to the lamp control cord 15, rendering the novel attachment a unified control.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as the basis for Letters Patent is:

1. A unified call-bell switch and lamp-control cord facility for a hospital bed or the like having a mattress and an elevated transversely extending head board or rail-form support at one end of said bed and extending substantially above the plane of the mattress, there being a flexible free ended electric light-operating pull element dangling toward the head end of said mattress from above; said facility comprising a combined pull element and retainer and carrier for an electric call bell cord or the like which cord has a circuit-closing switch at its outer free end for operation by the bed-occupant, said combined pull element retainer and electric cord carrier comprising an elongated arm providing a free outer end portion, a mount attachable to the aforementioned elevated bed-provided support, friction means-incorporating connection means dirigibly coupling said mount and the inner end of said arm whereby the latter can be swung in all directions and frictionally retained in selected positions of adjustment, gripping means carried by said arm for the terminal switch-carrying electric cord, said arm having a cord-receiving notch opening from one side edge of its free outer end portion as one element of said electric cord-gripping means, a latch member having inner and outer end portions, a pivot pin transversely pivoting the inner end portion of said latch member to one side of said arm inwardly of the free outer end of the latter, the outer end portion of said latch member having an electric cord-receiving edge notch opening from one side and toward and alignable in juxtaposed relationship with the arm notch to cooperate with the latter in gripping and retaining the electric cord inwardly of its terminal switch, latch member position-retaining means on said pivot pin at one side of said arm and comprising a cleat and a spring washer interposed between the arm and cleat, so as to space the latter from the arm whereby the free flexible pull element end can be readily secured between the arm and cleat so that when the arm is either generally upright or is swung away from the elevated head board or support, the intermediate portion of the flexible pull element will dangle downwardly toward the head end of the mattress as a widely open loop for ready access to the patient even in the dark, so that he can simply raise and wave his arm to engage the loop to turn on the light and then immediately locate and operate the arm carried call-bell switch, which latter will of course be close to him.

2. A unified call-bell switch carrier and free end retainer for a flexible lamp control cord as an attachment for the upstanding head board of a hospital bed and wherein one side edge of the said head board is located near an electric service outlet said attachment comprising a support attachable to the head board near said side edge, an arm having an inner end-portion directed to the support, a dirigible connection between said inner arm end-portion and the support for facilitating the adjustment of the arm from an upstanding idle position near said side edge of the head board to a lateral one extending to the region of the other side edge of said head board, said connection also pivoting the arm for sweeping movement when it is laterally extended away from said head board, an electric cord adapted to be plugged with one end into said outlet and extending along the arm from adjacent the connection-carried end of same to the outer end-portion thereof, a control switch for said call-bell at theotherend of the cord, means carried by the outer arm end portion for clamping the switch to the. same, said lamp control cord having a depending free end, and securing means for the free lamp control cord end and carried by said arm adjacent its outer end, whereby when the arm is either generally upright or is moved laterally away from the head board the intermediate portion of said cord will dangle down as a widely open loop which is conveniently accessible to the patient even in the dark so that he can readily turn on the light and locate and operate the call-bell switch.

3. A unified call-bell switch carrier and free end retainer for a flexible lamp control cord as an attachment for the upstanding head board of a hospital bed and wherein a head board is located near an electric service outlet, said attachment comprising a support attachable to the head board, an arm having an inner end-portion directed to the support, a dirigible connection between said inner arm end-portion and the support for facilitating the adjustment of the arm from an upstanding idle position to other positions including a variety of downward and latterly outswung positions away from the head board to spacedly overlie the particular location of the bed occupant, an electric cord adapted to be plugged with one end into said outlet and extending along the arm from adjacent the connection-carried end of same to the outer end-portion thereof, a control switch for said callbell at the other end of the cord, means carried by the outer arm end portion for clamping the switch to the same, said lamp control cord having a depending free end, and securing means for the free lamp control cord end and carried by said arm adjacent its outer end, whereby when the arm is either generally upright or is moved laterally away from the head board the intermediate portion of said cord will dangle down as a widely open loop which is conveniently accessible to the patient even in the dark so that he can readily turn on the light and locate and operate the call-bell switch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,649 10/ 1947 Brown 53l7 X 2,676,775 4/1954 Schulz 248-51 2,876,464 3/ 1959 Helverson 53 14 FOREIGN PATENTS 222 1/1914 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R. D'. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A UNIFIED CALL-BELL SWITCH AND LAMP-CONTROL CORD FACILITY FOR A HOSPITAL BED OR THE LIKE HAVING A MATTRESS AND AN ELEVATED TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING HEAD BOARD OR RAIL-FORM SUPPORT AT ONE END OF SAID BED AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE PLANE OF THE MATTRESS, THERE BEING A FLEXIBLE FREE ENDED ELECTRIC LIGHT-OPERATING PULL ELEMENT DANGLING TOWARD THE HEAD END OF SAID MATTRESS FROM ABOVE; SAID FACILITY COMPRISING A COMBINED PULL ELEMENT AND RETAINER AND CARRIER FOR AN ELECTRIC CALL BELL CORD OR THE LIKE WHICH CORD HAS A CIRCUIT-CLOSING SWITCH AT ITS OUTER FREE END FOR OPERATION BY THE BED-OCCUPANT, SAID COMBINED PULL ELEMENT RETAINER AND ELECTRIC CORD CARRIER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ARM PROVIDING A FREE OUTER END PORTION, A MOUNT ATTACHABLE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED ELEVATED BED-PROVIDED SUPPORT, FRICTION MEANS-INCORPORATING CONNECTION MEANS DIRIGIBLY COUPLING SAID MOUNT AND THE INNER END OF SAID ARM WHEREBY THE LATTER CAN BE SWUNG IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN SELECTED POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT, GRIPPING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ARM FOR THE TERMINAL SWITCH-CARRYING ELECTRIC CORD, SAID ARM HAVING A CORD-RECEIVING NOTCH OPENING FROM ONE SIDE EDGE OF ITS FREE OUTER END PORTION AS ONE ELEMENT OF SAID ELECTRIC CORD-GRIPPING MEANS, A LATCH MEMBER HAVING INNER AND OUTER END PORTIONS, A PIVOT PIN TRANSVERSELY PIVOTING THE INNER END PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEMBER TO ONE SIDE OF SAID ARM INWARDLY OF THE FREE OUTER END OF THE LATTER, THE OUTER END PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEMBER HAVING AN ELECTRIC CORD-RECEIVING EDGE NOTCH OPENING FROM ON SIDE AND TOWARD AND ALIGNABLE IN JUXTAPOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ARM NOTCH TO COOPERATE WITH THE LATTER IN GRIPPING AND RETAINING THE ELECTRIC CORD INWARDLY OF ITS TERMINAL SWITCH, LATCH MEMBER POSITION-RETAINING MEANS ON SAID PIVOT PIN AT ONE SIDE OF SAID ARM AND COMPRISING A CLEAT AND A SPRING WASHER INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE ARM AND CLEAT, SO AS TO SPACE THE LATTER FROM THE ARM WHEREBY THE FREE FLEXIBLE PULL ELEMENT END CAN BE READILY SECURED BETWEEN THE ARM AND CLEAT SO THAT WHEN THE ARM IS EITHER GENERALLY UPRIGHT OR IS SWUNG AWAY FROM THE ELEVATED HEAD BOARD OR SUPPORT, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FLEXIBLE PULL ELEMENT WILL DANGLE DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE HEAD END OF THE MATTRESS AS A WIDELY OPEN LOOP FOR READY ACCESS TO THE PATIENT EVEN IN THE DARK, SO THAT HE CAN SIMPLY RAISE AND WAVE HIS ARM TO ENGAGE THE LOOP TO TURN ON THE LIGHT AND THEN IMMEDIATELY LOCATE AND OPERATE THE ARM CARRIED CALL-BELL SWITCH, WHICH LATTER WILL COURSE BE CLOSE TO HIM. 